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Jan. 13 - Jan. 17, 2020

 

This week, the Senate passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal and unanimously passed Senator Romney's bill to confront the rise of China - marking his first piece of stand-alone legislation to pass the Senate. Senator Romney also continued his work toward addressing the youth vaping crisis and his advocacy for Utah communities recovering from wildfires. Keep scrolling for a brief recap of the week.

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Full story by Dennis Romboy here.

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Utah and Duchesne counties faced serious bureaucratic hurdles after the wildfires of 2018. Senator Romney and Rep. Curtis (UT-3) teamed up with Senator Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Garamendi (CA-3) to introduce the Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act, legislation that will help local communities cut through the red tape they face in the aftermath of wildfires to make it easier for them to recover.

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Senator Romney met with the founders of Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes to discuss the administration's recent temporary ban on flavored vaping pods. While this was a positive step toward protecting our kids from nicotine addiction, more work needs to be done to address the youth vaping crisis.

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The Senate unanimously passed Senator Romney's Indo-Pacific Cooperation Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation that requires the U.S. to partner with allies in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, and elsewhere, to develop a unified approach to address the rise of China. Senator Romney released the following statement upon its passage:

"Addressing the threat that China poses to our fundamental values of freedom, human rights, and free enterprise is the central challenge facing us in the 21st century. As the leader of the free world, America must link arms with our allies and partners to confront the rise of China. Senate passage of this legislation represents a first step in developing a unified approach and comprehensive strategy with our allies in Asia, Europe, and around the world to combat China’s growing aggression."

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In the midst of ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, several senators introduced legislation to limit the President’s authority over military action. Senator Romney, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chairman of the subcommittee dealing with the Middle East, voted against Senator Kaine's (D-VA) war powers resolution, saying:

"As it is currently drafted, this resolution would tie the President’s hands in responding to further potential Iranian aggression. The balance of powers between the executive and legislative branches related to the use of military force is a longstanding issue of debate, and it is a debate we should have. However, with American troops in harm’s way, now is not the proper time and this resolution is not the right approach."

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Full story by Dennis Romboy here.

Also this week, Senator Romney joined Senator Graham (R-SC) and colleagues in introducing a resolution making it clear the Senate stands with the Iranian people. This resolution came days after thousands of Iranian protestors took to the streets in opposition to oppressive Iranian government policies and the downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet. Senator Romney released the following statement, saying“The Iranian regime violates human rights, opposes the rule of law, and oppresses its people. We stand with the Iranian people who are risking their lives to demonstrate for freedom.”

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With a location in Draper, Utah, eBay employs more than 2,000 people across our state. Senator Romney met with eBay CEO Scott Schenkel to discuss the Beehive State's business climate.

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